After having a 2-2 record for the first four games of their season, the BCCHS Patriots’ Football Team now has a record of 6-3. The team has definitely had a much stronger season once they started to play league games. Many people are wondering what the Patriots have done that motivated them to turn around a difficult start to the season. BCCHS quarterback Gabriel Cruz says that the reason the team has had such a great turn around is that “Teams in the beginning were much tougher than league teams and we purposely do that to be better prepared for league games.”

The Patriots had their last preseason game against Oaks Christian and they suffered a tough 55-7 loss. The team struggled offensively and defensively throughout the game, but started to do well in the second quarter by scoring their one and only touchdown. The Patriots knew they definitely needed to improve their style of playing and they had plenty of time to do it because they had a bye week the week following the Oaks Christian game.

The Patriots must have really improved their weaknesses over the bye week because when they played Cleveland (5-1) the following week, the Patriots had a terrific 50-0 victory. The team also played very consistently in that game by scoring at least one touchdown through all four quarters of the game. Quarterback Cruz (1) had a very good game in which he threw for 101 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. The defense demonstrated their strength by not allowing the offense to score throughout the game.

BCCHS had a very big event the following Friday night, as it was the Homecoming Football Game against Chatsworth and everyone was going to be there to cheer on the Patriots. The Patriots did not let the school down with a 49-23 victory in which Cruz threw for 172 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. BCCHS’ star running back, Sterling Salguero (4), rushed for 263 yards and scored three touchdowns.

The team wanted to continue their momentum into the following week when they played their rival, Taft. The game against Taft was very close, but Birmingham came out victorious in a nail-biting 29-26 win. The Patriots’ running game was very dominant due to Salguero rushing for 370 yards and scoring three touchdowns. When asked what caused him to have such an explosive game, Salguero replied “I ate well and mentally prepared myself for the game because it was a big game. I played my heart out.” Wide receiver Norman Zavala (16) also scored his first touchdown of the season with a 24 yard touchdown reception from quarterback Cruz. The team only needed one more win to seal a winning season and they were looking to achieve that win against Granada Hills the following Friday.

The team had a very big game against Granada Hills because if they won that game, it would give them a better chance of clinching a playoff spot. The Patriots didn’t let the pressure get to them and they had a complete 58-17 victory to seal their winning season. Quarterback Cruz had a stellar game throwing for 197 yards and having three touchdown passes. To no one’s surprise, Salguero had another great game in which he rushed for 134 yards and scored three touchdowns. The defense showed that the pressure didn’t bother them either by only allowing 17 points and getting an interception which was due to Solomon Taufahema. The Patriots have their final game of the season Friday against El Camino Real at their field. The players are going to try their best for their last game of the regular season and to better their chances at making playoffs. If the Patriots continue to play how they have been playing, they should have no problem defeating El Camino.